Island



(No Model.)

B. MAERTENS. BALL BEARING FOR SPINNING AND TWISTING MAGHINE SPINDLBS.

,378. Patented Oct. 22,1895.

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PATENT reins,

BALL-BEARlNG FOR SPlNNlNG AND TWlSTlNG MACHINE SP INDLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,378, dated October 22, 1895.

Application filed July 30. 1895. Serial No. 667,567. (No model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMILE MAERTENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in thecounty of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ball-Bearings for Spinning and Twisting Machine Spindles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompak nying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in ball-bearings adapted to supportthe sleeves or tubes which revolve'around the dead-spindles of cap spinning and twisting machines employed in the manufacture of yarn, &c.; and it consists, essentially, in the combination of a stationary base member adapted to be mounted on the usual lifterplate and arrangedto receive a dead-spindle therethrough having two bearing-surfaces, one of which is a horizontal plane, the other surface being vertical and curved and at substantially right angles to the former, a rotatable cap member 'having a downward-extending central vertical sleeve arranged to freely receive the deadspindle therethrough and capable of supporting and being rotated by the live-spindle, also provided with two bearing surfaces, one of which is a horizontal plane arranged above and parallel with'the horizontal plane of said base member, the other surfacebeing vertical and cylindrical and at right angles with the horizontal planes and concentric with the said curved bearing-surface, thereby forming an annular space, a series of antifriction-balls mounted in said annular space and in contact with the said four'be'aring surfaces, and means for preventing the base and cap members from accidental separation when assembled, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Ball-bearings for vertical shafts have hitherto been made comprising two concentric rings, one stationary and thebther rotary, having b'earingsuriacesconcentric with each other andplane surfaces parallel to each other and at right angles to the concentric surfaces,

and balls which are located in an annular space between said concentric and plane surfaces and which hear at diametrically-opposite points against and roll upon one'pair of such surfaces and are retained in place by the other pair thereof. In ball-bearings of this class the ring members forming such bearings are kept concentric by mutual contact upon surfaces provided for the purpose. I am'not aware, however, that a vertical ballbearing has been made before my present invention in which both the two plane horizontal parallel surfaces and the concave and convex surfaces, constituting two concentric surfaces arranged at right angles to the plane surfaces, are utilized at the same time conjointly as bearing or rolling surfaces for the antifriction-balls, and in which ball-bearings said balls form .the means by which the convex outer bearingsurface'o'f the downwardprojecting sleeve of the rotating cap-plate member is kept central and concentric vwith the inner or'concave bearing-surface of the base member and the bore in the sleeve concentric with the dead-spindle, without any part of the revoluble part of said ball-bearing coming in contact with any part of the stationary base of said bearing or with the dead-spindle. y

I am well aware that ball-bearings for spindles of spinning and twisting machines have been used prior to this present invention. Such former devices, however, required considerable attention, either to keep them properly lubricated or free from dust, lint, fly, and other dirt, which soon renders them inoperative to such an extent that the advantages, normally due to'bearings provided with antifriction-balls, are materially lessened if not nullified, thereby requiring acorrespondingly- 5 increased amount of power for operating the spindles.

The object I have in view 'is to practically overcome the objections or disadvantages inherentin ball-bearings of the class referred Fi ure 1 is a transverse or cross-sectional vi w, enlarged, taken through the center of my improved ball-bearing.

Fig. 2 is a simiv lar view showing a modified form of the retaining or locking device. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the ball-bearing,portions being broken away to show its interior; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation in partial section showing the bearing combined with a mounted live tube and a dead-spindle and arranged'subst'antially as in use.

A, again referring to the drawings, desig-' also bear and roll, and at the bottom of said base memberthere is a central opening or hole 6, adaptedto receive and fit the correspondingportion of a dead-spindle fiand' which, when mounted and in use, serves to maintain or hold said basemember in a central or concentric position with respect to saiddead-spindle. providedor composed of arevoluble 'capplate g, having on its under side a horizontal orplane be aring-surface'h, parallel withsaid surface 19, adapted infuse torol'l andbear upon theballs c. The cap plate isprovided' with a' downward-extending peripheral concentric rim i,'overlapping the upper outer portion'of thejbase member a. It is further provided with a central sleeve or annular downward projection its upper outer part forming a convex or cylindrical bearingsurfacej h', formed at right angles to the said planebearing h of the cap-plate. By means of saidconstruction and arrangement of themembersa and g it will be seen that the said fou'rsurfaces b, d, h, and h form between them an annular space or chamber 11 having a substantially square cross-section, said chamberbeing concentric with the center or hole 2. These ries of antifriction-balls 0, located in the chamber b maintain the cap-plate in position centrally, since the balls bear upon the said four surfaces simultaneously. The central bore or hole 0, formed in the said annular exten sion or sleeve j, is larger than the opening 6 of the base member, thereby maintaining said revolving cap-plate and sleeve out of contact The lower portion of the said annular projection j is provided exteriorly with a circumferential groove is, thereby forming a small outer flange at'the' with the dead-spindle f.

lower end of it. This flange is screw-threaded, as at 0, Fig. 1, and when in use extends a'd'istance below the inwardly-extending flange 0' of thebase member a. The latter flange has a female thread forming the counterpart of the'said'thread 0, as clearly shown.

In Fig. 2 the grooved portion of the sleeve j is represented as adapted to freely receive the ends of screws m tapped intothe base a."

The object of this device is to prevent the cap member g from being accidentally lifted or The bearing" is further separated f rom; the base. In like manner the said screw-threaded flange 0' prevents the capplate from lifting after the male thread 0 has been passed through the flange 0', or, in other words, the parts are assembled by inserting the sleeve into the base member and screwing the former into the latter until the threaded portion 0 passes into and is adapted to turn freely in a'chamber 70 formed in the base.

It will be apparent from the foregoing (see, also, Figs. 1 and 2) that no part of the revolving'cap plate and its sleeve is in contact with any part of the stationary base member, and

that the balls have two points of contact with the stationary part of the bearing and two corresponding points of contact with the revoluble'part ofthe bearing, and that th'e'said re voluble"part' is kept perfectly'concentric with'the stationarypart through the intermediary of th'eballs onlyfa'nd' that said statio'hary'paitis kept concentric with the'deadj'spindlebymean's'of the hole 6 thllllQbOttOlll of theihasemember,through which th'e'dead- 'spindlef'extends; It will alsobe noticed that there is aspace or clearan ce around every part jofthe'bearing except at the'p'o'intsof' contact of theballs c. g V In Fig. 4 niyimproved'ball-bearing is shown as'adapted to spindles of spinning and twisting machines-that is to say, the stationary or dead spindlef is adjustably mounted in a spindle-rail p and passes upward through the usual lifter-plate q On topof thelatter is located" my improved ball-bearing A, said spindle also passing through it. A sleeve or live spindle or tube '1 is mounted to' freely revolve aro'und the stationary spindle and is arranged to carry a bobbin or spool 5. (Shown by dotted lines.) The live-spindle has secured fth'ereto'at thebottom a"belt-driv'en whirl t. The two'lat'terrevolve together in unison, as common, andrst directly upon and rotate'the capplate member ,g, which'in turn is supported by the stationaryball-carrying base a, the balls serving to hold the revolving capplate in position centrally, as before stated.

I prefer 'to'interpose a'lubricating disk or washer u of fibrous material between the under side" of the bearingA and the lifter-plate, the latter being recessed for the purpose, as sho'wn'in Fig. 4. In some cases the bearing maybe secured directly to the dead-spindle f without the intervention of the lifter-plate. In'any event the base a of my improved ballbearing is to be -fixed or stationary, while at the same time the cap-plate g and sleeve j thereof are adapted to be rotated by and in unison with the live-spindle.

I claim as my invention 1. As an improved article of manufacture, the hereinbefore described ball-bearing for spindles of cap spinning and twisting machines, the'same consistingof a base member having a vertical hole' therethrough adapted to receive and centralize the (lead spindle and' further having plane and curved bearing surfaces, a revoluble cap-plate'capable of supporting and being rotated by the live spindle having a central sleeve or annular projection adapted to receive but non-contact with the dead spindle and normally'concentric therewith and also having plane and curved bearing surfaces oppositely located with respect to the said surfaces of the base member,aseries of anti-friction balls in engagement with all of the said plane and curved bearing surfaces of the base and cap members, and means for preventing the accidental separation of said members, substantially as described.

2. In a ball-bearing of the class described, the combination of a stationary base member and a cap-plate member capable of supporting and being rotated by a live spindle or shaft, each having plane and curved bearing surfaces arranged with respect to each other to form an annular space substantially square crossscctionally and concentric with such live spindle or shaft, a series of anti-friction balls located in said annular space and in engagement with all of said bearing surfaces, and means for preventing the accidental separation of the base and cap-members.

3. A ball-bearing, comprising a fixed or stationary base member having its upper portion arranged to form plane and curved bearing surfaces, as I), d, a revoluble top or cap member having a central sleeve extending downward into said base and also arranged to form plane and curved bearing surfaces, as h, h, the said four surfaces capable of forming an annular concentric space, and aseries of antifriction balls rotatable in said space and engaging the said four bearing surfaces simultaneously. 4. In a bearing of the class described, the combination with the centrally apertured stationary base member a having ball-bearing surfaces, b, (1, arranged at right angles to each other and a flange located below said surfaces provided with a female screw-thread, of the revoluble cap-plate g having ball-bearing surfaces h, 72, also arranged at right angles to each other and when in use opposite to said surfaces 1), d, a downward extending sleeve j integral with the cap-plate having a peripheral groove k therein located normally contiguous to said screw-threaded flange, and having the lower end portion of said sleeve provided with a male screw-thread capable of being screwed completely through said flange, and a series of anti-friction balls in engagement with all of the said four bearing surfaces.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMILE MAERTENS. Witnesses:

GEO. H. REMINGTON, REMINGTON SHERMAN. 

